Lizard Man?

I woke up feeling groggy, my head heavy as I slowly blinked my eyes open. The first thing I noticed was the sterile smell of antiseptic in the air, followed by the soft hum of an air conditioner gently blowing cool air against my skin. I was lying in a hospital bed, dressed in one of those plain, unflattering hospital gowns. The room was bright, sunlight streaming in from a large window to my left.

Through the window, I could see an airplane flying high in the sky, its distant roar barely audible through the thick glass. The scene was so ordinary, so mundane, that for a moment, I felt a strange sense of calm.

I sat up slowly, my muscles aching as if I hadn't moved in days. "What... happened?" I muttered to myself, rubbing my eyes. Everything felt off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I needed to get out of here, get home, and maybe everything would make sense.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, feeling the cold tiles under my bare feet. The room was quiet, eerily so, as I walked to the door and stepped out into the hallway. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead, casting a stark white glow on the polished floor.

But as I walked through the hospital, something strange began to nag at the edges of my consciousness. The halls were empty—no doctors, no nurses, no patients. Just me. The usual hum of a bustling hospital was absent, replaced by a deafening silence.

I shrugged off the unease, telling myself I was just tired. "Just get home," I whispered, trying to shake off the weird feeling. But as I made my way outside, the world shifted further into the surreal.

There were no humans. Instead, lizards were everywhere—standing, walking, working. They wore suits, carried briefcases, and chatted with each other in a language that made no sense to me. I walked past a lizard taking orders from another lizard customer at what looked like a food stall. A lizard was hailing a taxi, and another was reading a newspaper on a park bench.

"What the hell...?" I muttered, but I was too tired to fully process what was happening. I just wanted to get home, to lie down and let this weirdness pass.

As I walked down the street, the pangs of hunger gnawed at my stomach. "Maybe I should stop at a restaurant or buy some bread," I thought, trying to ignore the fact that I was surrounded by lizards. I settled on buying some bread—something quick and easy.

I walked into a small bakery, the door chiming softly as I entered. The shop was cozy, with the smell of freshly baked bread filling the air. But as I approached the counter, the lizard behind it looked up and met my gaze.

"What bread are you searching for?" it asked, its voice smooth and oddly familiar.

My entire body froze, goosebumps prickling my skin. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. It was as if my mind had short-circuited, trying to reconcile the absurdity of what I was seeing and hearing.

The lizard shop assistant tilted its head, its eyes narrowing slightly. Then, without warning, it moved closer, and before I could react, its massive tail swung around and slammed into me with the force of a truck.

Everything went black.

I jolted awake, gasping for breath, the cold ground beneath me reminding me of where I really was. I was back in the cave, lying on the dirt as a worm.

"Lizards are dangerous," I muttered, still shaken by the vividness of the dream. My body ached from the earlier encounter, but I was alive—and, thankfully, not inside a lizard's stomach.

I scanned the area, noticing that the lizard was gone. The riverbank was quiet, save for the gentle rush of water. I took a moment to collect myself, grateful to have survived.

"Maybe I should go look for another creature," I decided, feeling the urge to find a new host. This time, though, I'd be more careful. No more reckless attempts—at least, not without a better plan.